Ram packing element for blowout preventers



July 29, 1952 c. R. NEILON 3 RAM PACKING ELEMENT FOR BLOWOUT PREVENTERS Filed Sept. 23, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTO NEY July 29, 1952 c. R. NEILON RAM PACKING ELEMENT FOR BLOWOUT PREVENTERS Filed Sept. 25, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ENVENTQE ya/w July 29, 1952 c. R. NEILON RAM PACKING ELEMENT FOR BLOWOUT FREVENTERS Filed Sept. 23, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ENVENTQR 7 BY Av Patented July 29, 1952 RAMPAGKING ELEMENT FoR-BLowonm:

' PREVENTERs omega. N eil'on, Houston, -Tex., ass ignor to The" National" Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of. Pennsylvania Application- September 23, 1'94G;.Serial.No. 698,121-

9 Claims. (01.1'3'7-618) This invention. relates-to blowout preventers; of the ram type; and: has; particular reference toa packing element for the ram. that: may be; inserted orfrem'oved; vertically from the; upper portion. of the body of: the. blowout. preventer;

In the drilling: of deep: wells;- say 10,096 feet: or deeper, extremely high welltpressures. are usually encountered and. the equipment necessary for' controlling such high: pressures must naturally be very sturdy andgheavy". This heavy equipment' is. difircult to. handle and: requires much. time consuming: labor;

Ram; type blowout preventers designed; to: close and sea-t about astring; of: tubing passmgithrough the; vertical. bore thereof. are. USHZH'SZT'DIDS/lidd with ram; chambers. within. the; hora. suchithata. pairon ramv members? or packing elements. cooperate together to. fit'snugly about the tubing ortubing hanger andformt a. seal: againstthe well; pressure existing. between. the; inner wall of the casing. and; the: exterior of the tubing: string,

At times it is necessary to: renew the packing. element due to,-wear-andsometimes it. is necessary to change thediameter of. the: tubing: string due to well conditions. Whenthis emergency arises it is.imperativethat the operation be expeditiouslycompleted. for the'well must be temporarily killed by introducing heavy mud to completely subdue. the; well pressure at; the: well heart to permit such-changesas are-necessary to'be made.

At other times during the completion of the Well and at still other times during the flowing liier'ofithe. well; it is: necessary to? manipulate the ram of the head to permit the tubing; string; to be. raised or lowered. This movement of thetubingjs; necessary to; actuate the. various bottomhole: equipment and: to permit the: various neces- Sary testing procedures.

It is. awell known: fact that the corrosive action. within the well and the-gummy nature ofxthe; fluid: produced attacks. all exposed surfaces and: often renders. them insuch condition that operation is difiicult if not impossible; Thispartioularlyistrue of valveaandthe rams oiblowout preventers and; the like.

To; eliminate su'ch-v ,difiiculty and facilitate the changinggrof; the packing element. and. enhance the mobilitya'ofs the ram; elements. after long exposure to.1this; corrosive action. all close. fitting openingswere:eliminated; The ram carrier,, with its packing element mounted thereimis designed tmmove freelyonza pair'of guides; The housing hr-whiclr the; ram. carriermoves. is designed. to provide; ample; clearance: around; the: ram carrier 831d: ifiiact the ram: carriermoves into a: free area the moment the sealing pressure onjthe packe ing. element. is broken. There are. 'noj expnse'd' corrosive surfaces upon or within which. the ram carrier and its attendantram. packing'elaments travel in. close. fitting. relationship. i'n'i my improveddesign.

Further my sectional interlocking. ram. insert or. packing. element may be. readilyfchangedlor renewed by simply breaking. the sear; about the tubing and the lower surface of'the' crown and; placing. anew packing element. in-its place i'n the' tapered bore. of the. ram carrier: 'througfrfthe verticalbore or openendkoi the blowout preventn. My new and improved repIaceabIe..packing;je1ement is. very efiecti've and. has proven. its utility and merit by itsi'ready acceptance."by"theloil. field trade.

' Itis oneoftheobiects-ofmy inventiontio pro.- vide a ram construction for a blowout preventer that can. be" changed" readily and"w-itl1' aslittle: loss of time. as. possible.

Another. object of my invention is? to. provide asectional: interlocking ram insert? or packing element that. may be easily?insertedi'intd-place in the recessofa blowout," preventer through the vertical opening. orv bore in the upper operrjend. ofthe. blowout-prevente'r body.

Another object; of. my invention is to provide an. improved replaceable. parking: element for" a ram type blowout preventer; that may" be in;- serted or withdrawn from the blowouttpr eyenter' through the. open". upper bore of thejblowout preyenter. I

Another object. of. my, inventionis toprovi'de apacki'ng assembly for blowout preventerirams which" can be: readily inserted; into the rams and removed therefromaniwhich"will form asealabout. the. upper portion of the ramjt'oexclude welllpressure therefrom.

Another. object o'f'my inventionis to provide a. simple. and. efiective replaceable ram" packing.

element for a. blowout-"prevention"thatmafbe speedily set. in. place. i'nithe. ram and fh'eldi'jih operative position;- Without. the. aid of; bolt'siior other fastening devices.

Another. object of. my invention. is toprovide.-

a pair of. segmental interlockmg ram inserts: so constructed; that transverse. movement off tli'e rams may be 'translatedinto displacement'ofifthe ramw inserts and this di'splacement. of. the" ram inserts to be. normal. to the transverse movement of. the rams... f Other. objects and; advantagesoffmy invention will become apparent during the course oil the following. description? and appended claims in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred constructional embodiments of my invention wherein like parts are designated by like numerals.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of a blowout preventer incorporating my invention, the section being taken along the line I--I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the assembled blowout preventer.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the two part ram carrier, the section being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the two part ram carrier, the section being taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-4: of Fig. 3 showing the details of the interlocking construction.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the sectional packing element.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view or the sectional packing element, partly in section showing one of the interlocking lugs.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing the resilient packing molded to the metal insert.

Fig. 9 is a section of the interlocking segmental resilient packing element taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the packing element showing the two interlocking elements to hold the two identical halves in unit relation when placed in the bore of the ram.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 clearly show the interlocking feature as applied to the two identical halves forming the complete ram carrier unit. The same type of interlocking construction is used in forming the complete resilient packing element unit shown in Figures 6, '7, 8, 9 and 10.

In the drawing the numeral l indicates a blowout preventer body provided with a bore or vertical passage 2 having ram chambers 3 extending laterally therefrom. The body I is further provided with a lower flange 4 by which it is connected to a well head 5 by means of double end bolts 6. A ring joint gasket I inserted in an annular groove provided at the junction of the body and the well head forms a seal to seal off well pressure at this connection. A studded flanged crown 8, with a depending annular skirt 9 is adapted to loosely fit within the vertical passage 2. A well fluid seal is provided between the upper end surface'of the body I and the flange of the crown 8 by a ring joint gasket I secured in place by studs II and their accompanying nuts. The crown is also provided with a bore I2 for well fluid to pass through on its way to the well head equipment or Christmas .tree, generally indicated at l3 and mounted on the crown 8 and sealed against leakage of well pressure by the ring joint gasket I4. Suitable studs I and their accompanying nuts are provided to firmly secure the upper well head equipment l3, to the crown 8.

A ram carrier I6, composed of two identical interlocking segmental sections, having interlocking lugs I1 and sockets I8, is adapted to be inserted through thevertical passage 2 into the ram chambers 3 in the body I of the blowout preventer. These sections are inserted individually and formed into a unit after insertion. They are machined as a unit to provide a downwardly tapering bore I9. Ram guides 29 are held in place on the bottom surface of the ram cham- 7 tween the tubin 4 here 3 by dowel pins 2|. The rain carriers are so designed that a shouldered bottom surface 22 is adapted to slide on the ram guides 29 when the ram is advanced or retracted to close or open the vertical passage through the blowout preventer.

A pair of identical interlocking segmental ram inserts 23, are provided with interlocking lugs 24 and sockets 25, as well as with radial disposed passages having resilient packing 26 molded therein and thereto to form unitary resilient packing elements 23a. These are adapted to be inserted, individually and formed into a single unit after insertion, to seat within the tapered bore I9. These packing elements are so constructed that they may be removed through the vertical passage 2 when worn or when the size of the well tubing must be changed.

When initially installing a ram type blowout preventer using my improved packing element, the body I is secured to the well head 5 as described above. The two part ram carrier I5 is inserted into the ram chambers 3 and operatively secured to the actuating mechanism, generally indicated at 21. The resilient packing elements 23a are seated in the tapered bore I9 of the ram carrier I6. The crown 8 is then secured to the body I and the balance of the upper well head equipment I3 is secured in place. The resilient packing elements 2311, being thus lightly confined, may be moved transversely in the ram chambers to close about or retract from a tubing hanger nipple 28 supporting a well tubing string 29.

The description of the actuating mechanism 21 will be found in detail in my co-pending application Serial Number 698,69l, now abandoned, filed simultaneously with the subject application.

When initially setting the packing elements 23a into sealing engagement about the hanger nipple 28 the weight of the tubing string 29 is suspended by overhead hoisting equipment (not shown). During this operation it is important that only the weight of the tubing string be relieved and that the string itself be not lifted from its position in the well. This permits freedom of movement of the rams so they may be readil; advanced to close and seal about the tubing hanger.

It is apparent when the rams of my device are closed about the tubing that the ram inserts will be forced upward out of the tapered bowl of the carriers into intimate contact with the face of the skirt 9 of the crown 8. This is true because as the rams are brought together around the tubing string, the excess resilient packing material moulded into the ram inserts is further compressed within the directed taper of the bowl of the carriers. It is important to note that any compression set up in the resilient packing material at any extremity of the ram insert is directed by my construction to the opposite extremity because of the radially disposed packing passages. After this latter operation has been completed the overhead hoisting means is released and the full weight of the tubing string rests upon the packing elements 23a through the intimate contact of the shouldered surface of the hanger nipple 28 with the top surface of the packing elements, further forcing the resilient packing into the tapered bore I9 and about the hanger nipple 28.

During the normal producing life of a well the pressure of both the fluid within the tubing and the pressure of the fluid within the annulus beand the next casing will vary.

Therefore, when therdirection of the. difiZ'eren tial pressure; is upwardit will. only-tend"; to; urge theresilient: packingv material 2d: at the rams. serts; into further sea-ling; engagement for this. material is. directly subjected to: pressure in. this.- direction.

Earthen. when: the; direction. or thev diiierential. pressure is.-.dwnward.it: acts upon theiupper'sur faceoi: the s m ntal ram insertiszztr ior ingthese: metal cores: downward into; the: taperedibore: of the carriers and thereba fiorces; the interposed; resilient; packing material 26 into; further sealne ns se ntior hesurface; areaofvthametal q eofthe insert. s.- any times reater than the circumferential area of the resilientrnackin jt that is exposed to pressure in this direction.

When it becomes necessary to repack the ram due to a worn-outipacking;ZBthefollowing procedure. is. followed. As is the'custom with all types of blowout preventers whenrepa-cki-ng is necessary, the well must be killed as. explained above before theseal excluding thewell pressure from the atmosphere isreleased. Whenthi's accomplished. the Christmas tree I 3 isiremoved 'sllnmg. to one side. The; crown 8 isnex'tremulledgand a; length. oi tubing (hotsshown); secured in the upperthreaded end of the hanger n pple 28;. Overhead. hoisting: equipment. (not shown). isthenused to supportthehanger nipple 23; with. the. tubing. string. 23. attached thereto while thefworn-out packing; element ltdisremovedaandmeplaced.witha newzonea.

When it-isnecessary to. change. the SiZSFQf the tubing string, the same procedure is followed with the exception that the new resilient packing element 23a is of a size to properly seal about the tubing used. Reassembly procedure is the same as described above for initially setting up of the blowout preventer to seal against well pressure.

It is apparent from the foregoing that my improved replaceable packing element possesses merit and utility not found in other blowout preventers on the market today. While only the preferred form of my invention has been disclosed and described herein, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details set forth and wish to reserve to myself any further embodiments, modifications and variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A blowout preventer including a body having a vertical passage therethrough with a shoulder therein, a pair of ram assemblies disposed within said passage on opposite sides of a tubing hanger nipple supporting a string of well tubing passing through said passage, said ram assemblies insertable through said vertical passage and movable transversely to open and close said passage about the hanger nipple, said ram assemblies comprising a plurality of segmental ram carriers provided with a tapered bore and a plurality of segmental ram packing elements, all of said segments being insertable and removable through said vertical passage, said carriers seating on said shoulder, a crown engaging the upper end surface of said packing elements through the vertical passage in said body and exerting axial pressure on said elements in opposition to said 6 ramicarriersg. means; betwe emsaidi' crown: andLbodtr, and: means; tO iSBUlleT crowniwtor said-body and. simultaneously applyaxial; press. sure: on. said? packing elements opposition to; the tapered. bore; of? said ramv carriers-to urgezthe: Iorme-nto; have; inwardradiali movement:

25 -A. blowout; preventer: including: a body hay;- ingza vertical passagetherethrougnl a pairof ram assemblies disposed within said passage on oppolsite sides or a; tubingr hanger nipple supporting atstring of wellftubingmassing through said pass. sage? an'dl'mnvabl'ee tramnwrsely try-open: and close-- said passage aboutzthe: hanger "nipple; saidtram assemblies comprising a pair otiinterlockingl segmental; ranrcarriers provided. with a tapered bore andaa. pair chi-"interlocking seg-mental molded resilie'ntepacking: elementsseparately insertableaand removablelthroughlsaidvertical passageand seatinga-m'1s-aid='bore a. shoulder on: said body in said passage, saidzram carriers seating on said shoul' der and opposing: axial thrustfof' thespacki'ng elements, closure sealin am'eans ta seal off-saidvetti'cal; passage against; wella pressure andsimultaneouslytos applyaxiali pressure on said packing: elemental. m -oppositiom to the tapered bore: of" said? ram carriers. to:- urge: inward: radial move-- ment'ofrsa-id.packingelementsi- 1 3. In combination with a ranretype 'blowout preventer having a; vertical passage through its body-,.; a pain of: ram: assemblies? disposed witl'i-i'n said passage. ong'opposita sides. ofa tubing hanger nipple; supporting? a. stringof: well tubing passing; through said passage;- said ram assemblies in sertablethrough. saidi verticalpassage and movable-transversely the open close: said passage about; the; hanger-P nipple;- and; comprising a pair of; identical interlocking segmental ram carriers provided with a vertically downwardly extending tapered bore and seating in the body passage and also a pair of identical interlocking segmental molded resilient packing elements, each of said carrier segment and elements being insertable and removable through said passage, said elements when inserted seating in the tapered bore of said carriers, a shoulder on said hanger nipple resting on the upper end surface of said packing elements whereby the weight of said tubing string bears upon the resilient packing elements to force them downwardly against the tapered bore of said ram carriers, and closure sealing means to seal off said vertical passage against well pressure while simultaneously urging said resilient packing elements into intimate sealing engagement with said tapered bore by downward pressure thereon in opposition to the ram carriers.

4. In combination with a ram-type blowout preventer having a vertical passage through its body, a pair of ram assemblies disposed within said passage and on opposite sides of a tubing hanger nipple supporting a string of well tubing passing through said passage, said ram assemblies being insertable through said passage and movable transversely to open or close said passage about said hanger nipple and comprising a pair of identical interlocking segmental ram carriers provided with a vertically downwardly extended tapered bore and seating in said body passage,

said ram assemblies also including a pair of identical interlocking segmental molded resilient packing elements, said elements when inserted seating in the tapered bore of said ram carriers, a shoulder on said hanger nipple resting on the upper end surface of said packing elements whereby the weight of said tubing string bears upon the resilient packing elements to force a crown engaging the upper end surface of said packing elements through said vertical passage, sealing means between said crown and body, and means to secure said crown to said body while simultaneously urging said packing elements into the bore of said ram carriers to efiect a tightening pressure of the packing elements against said nipple. f

5. A blowout preventer. including a bodylhaving a vertical passage for receiving a tubing string, said passage having a restriction therein forming an upwardly facing seat, a ram carrier in said passage on said seat, a sectional ram packing element resting. on said carrier and radially contractible around a'tubing'hang'er nipple in the passage, said carrier'and element having cooperating surfaces urging contraction of said packing element under vertical pressure on said cooperating surfaces, and a passage closing means removably mounted on said body and sealing off said passage against well pressure.

6. A combination as called for in claim wherein each of said ram carrier and packing element is composed of radially separable sections for separate insertion into and removal from the vertical body passage upon removal of said passage closing means. x

7. A combination as called for in claim 5 wherein the passage closing means when. attached to said body serves to apply downward pressure to said ram carrier and packing element in opposition to said seat.

8. A blowout preventer including a body having a vertical passage therethrough with an upward- 1y facing seat therein, rams in said passage on opposite sides of a tubing hanger nipple passing through said passage, said rams being inov' able transversely to open or close said passage about said .hangernipple and comprising a car,- rier annulus'and a packing annulus oneabove the other in said passage and one resting on said seat; said annuli each including a plurality of separable segments for separate insertion into and removal from the passage, and said packing annulus, at least, being radially contractible, said two annuli having tapered coacting surfaces causing radial contraction of the packing annulus when downward pressure is applied to said annuli in opposition to said seat, and removable means closing the upper end of said passage against well pressure therein.

9. A combination as called for in claim 8 wherein said closing means also contacts the upper side of said packing annulus to apply downward axial pressure thereto.

CLAUDE R. NEILON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 207,365 Morse Aug. 27, 1878 1,835,891 Mildren Dec. 8, 1931 1,836,374 Kelly Dec.15, 1931 1,899,922 Black Mar. '7, 1933 1,963,683 Shaffer June 19, 1934 1,966,809 Wickersham July 17, 1934 1,967,417 Martin July 24, 1934 2,193,110 Penick Mar. 12,1940 2,194,256 Allen Mar. 19, 1940 2,194,257 Allen Mar. 19, 1940 

